2-13-2011 Downing Mountain

February 15, 2011 at 13:05 | Posted in Skiing at Downing Mountain Lodge | 1 Comment

I spent four days last week skiing at Downing Mountain, skiing the control routes and exploring new skiing opportunities west on the ridge passed Bear Bowl to the south and north. We skied very touchy snow on wednesday with numerous small avalanches. Sticking to the north side we explored the Wolf Glades extensively and found very good snow and many lines through nicely spaced larch and whitebark pine. Thursday conditions had settled down already and I explored some tree skiing in the meadows on the NE face above the lodge. Friday was a changeover day for guests and I was shuttling folks so I made a quick run in Marios Trees before 11a.m. and took an afternoon run after the next guests had arrived. Saturday I rested, and the folks at the lodge reported stable and good powder on the north faces and they tore up the Wave and the Crown Bowls. Sunday, we skied 2000 foot runs down to Barley Lake via the shoulder of Bear Bowl and then Larch Glades west of the bowl and enjoyed great snow and some fun boulder bouncing through the large talus snow mushrooms. Additionally we skied a south facing run into the gully beyond the crown run,  the Fallen Jewels. The powder was warm and the skiing good for the south face. Sunday was another just shy of 10,000 vertical day which always makes me insatiably hungry and a wee bit tired.

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